By Anayah Fray
Acknowledging the city of Tallahassee’s accomplishments is always a morale booster. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the city continues to collect accolades without the sustained effort needed to propel its environmental initiatives forward.
As a purpose-driven environmental change agent within this community, it is my responsibility to hold our city accountable and encourage our officials to go beyond the superficial appeal of awards, focusing instead on strengthening the environmental resilience of our people for generations to come.
As I reflect upon the awards Tallahassee has received, such as the Sunrise Award and Redevelopment Award from the Florida Brownfields Association, I am proud yet skeptical. This recognition should serve as a pathway for our city to lead as an example of environmental equity and justice for all residents.
The award recognized the city’s transformation of a former polluted Superfund alternative site into Cascades Park. While this work demonstrates how sustainable improvements can positively transform communities, underserved areas such as the historic, predominantly African American neighborhood of Smokey Hollow still endure adverse impacts of urban development.
I urge Tallahassee to address these inequities and ensure that environmentally focused initiatives foster sustainability, resilience and community-driven development for all. While the city is moving in a positive direction, these initiatives are only effective when all communities benefit equally. Recognition must match the scale of equity needed to overcome the environmental injustices still present in our neighborhoods.
As a member of the younger generation, I feel a deep responsibility to advocate for the Earth and for those whose voices are often overlooked. The preservation of our natural world and its people, entrusted to us by the Creator, matters deeply to me, and I hope every reader recognizes that they are an extension of the beauty that surrounds them.
The city of Tallahassee’s Clean Energy Plan lays out a bold path toward achieving a “100 percent net clean renewable energy community by 2050.” Yet, a plan is only as strong as its implementation. We must hold our city accountable and urge our officials to transform this initiative into reality — equitably and transparently.
As active participants whose environmental resilience speaks louder than any award, you could ensure the Clean Energy Plan is fully realized by signing this petition – https://bit.ly/tallahasseecleanenergy – so that Tallahassee’s clean energy future reflects the hope and unified voice of our community.
I believe in the power of a voice to change perspective, and my voice calls for the city of Tallahassee to prioritize people over accolades. Environmental equity is essential to ensuring our city’s legacy remains inclusive, improving the quality of life for all residents and reconnecting us to the Earth we have always been one with.
Anayah Fray is a second-year environmental studies major with a pre-law minor at Florida A&M University who is originally from Rex, Georgia. She serves as a genCleo intern with The CLEO Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization passionately dedicated to climate crisis education and advocacy. Banner photo: Sunset at Cascades Park in Tallahassee (iStock image).
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